Italian Social Republic

The Italian Social Republic, also known as the Salo Republic, was a fascist state that existed in northern Italy from 23 September 1943 to 28 April 1945. The party exercised nominal sovereignty in central and northern Italy, and its leader Benito Mussolini founded the republic after the fall of fascist Italy. Mussolini founded the Republican Fascist Party to replace the defunct National Fascist Party, and the Italian Social Republic was ruled as a fascist totalitarian state. Mussolini relied on German support to defend the republic, with German troops making up the majority of the republic's forces (they were sent as expeditionary forces to Italy). On 25 April 1945, a general uprising of Italian partisans took place in northern Italy, and the Salo Republic was overthrown; on 28 April, Mussolini and several other fascist leaders were executed at Dongo by the resistance.